The above table serves as a snapshot of the typical factors that impact ridership, and illustrates the differences which exist between the current month and the same month in the previous year. If a change occurred, it is categorized to represent a (typically) positive, negative or neutral impact on ridership. More details on the observed impacts are noted in the description of ridership results below. ​

​Local Network Overview

Local Bus

Monthly Total

There were 4,503K boardings in January 2018 compared to 4,857K in January 2017, a decrease of 354K boardings (or 7 percent decrease) on local bus service. The primary reason for the ridership loss was an ice storm that affected fixed-route service over a three-day period between January 16 and January 18, 2018 compared to one rain day in 2017. The effects of the ice storm led to limited local service and no park & ride service on Wednesday, January 17, 2018.

Average Daily Ridership: Weekday / Saturday / Sunday

Average daily ridership decreased on Weekday and increased on Saturday and Sunday in January 2018 compared to January 2017. Average Weekday ridership decreased by approximately 8K boardings (or 4 percent decrease), average Saturday ridership increased by approximately 2K (or 1 percent increase), and average Sunday ridership increased by approximately 6K boardings (or 7 percent increase) in January 2018 compared to January 2017.

​Light Rail

Monthly Total

There were 1,370K boardings on all three light rail lines in January 2018 compared to 1,421K boardings in January 2017, a decrease of 51K boardings (or 4 percent). Red line ridership decreased by 2 percent, Green line ridership decreased slightly by 1 percent while Purple line ridership increased by 3 percent in January 2018 compared to January 2017. There are two main reasons for the ridership loss in January 2018 compared to the previous year. The primary reason is the negative weather impact noted above while the second was the presence of pre-Super Bowl LI activities in Houston in January 2017 and their absence in January 2018 when the site of the Super Bowl shifted to Minneapolis.

Average Daily Ridership: Weekday / Saturday / Sunday

Average Weekday ridership on the Red, Green and Purple lines decreased by 2K boardings (or 5 percent), increased by 1K boardings (or 23 percent) and increased by 1K boardings (or 18 percent) respectively in January 2018 compared to January 2017. Average Saturday ridership on the Red, Green, and Purple lines decreased by 2K boardings (or 8 percent), increased by less than 1K boardings (or 11 percent) and remained comparable (or less than 0 percent) respectively in January 2018 compared to January 2017. Average Sunday ridership on the Red, Green, and Purple lines remained comparable (or less than 0 percent), increased by less than 1K boardings, and increased by less than 1K boardings (or 6 percent) in January 2018 compared to January 2017 respectively.

Total Local Network

Monthly Total

There were 5,872K boardings in January 2018 compared to 6,278K in January 2017, a decrease of 405K boardings (or 6 percent decrease).

Average Daily Ridership: Weekday / Saturday / Sunday

Average daily ridership decreased on Weekday and increased on Saturday and Sunday. Average Weekday decreased by 9K boardings (or 4 percent loss), while average Saturday and Sunday ridership increased by less than 1K boardings (or less than 1 percent increase) and 6K boardings (or 5 percent increase) respectively in January 2018 compared to January 2017.

​Commuter Network Overview

Park & Ride

Monthly Total

There were 598K Park and Ride boardings in January 2018 compared to 663K boardings in January 2017, a decrease of approximately 64K boardings (or 10 percent decrease). The primary reason for the ridership loss was an ice storm that affected fixed-route service over a three-day period between January 16 and January 18, 2018 compared to one rain day in 2017. The effects of the ice storm led to limited local service and no park & ride service on Wednesday, January 17, 2018.

Average Daily Ridership: Weekday

Average Weekday ridership in January 2018 was 30K boardings compared to 32K boardings January 2017, a decrease of 2K boardings (6 percent decrease).

Entire Network Summary

Monthly Total

There were 6,471K boardings on the entire fixed-route network in January 2018 compared to 6,940K boardings in January 2017, a decrease of 470K boardings (or 7 percent decrease). Relevant factors were noted earlier and are included in the table above.

Average Daily Ridership: Weekday / Saturday / Sunday

Average daily ridership for the fixed-route network decreased on Weekday, and increased on Saturday and Sunday in January 2018 compared to January 2017. Average weekday ridership decreased by 11K boardings (or 4 percent decrease), average Saturday ridership increased by less than 1K boardings (or less than 1 percent increase), and average Sunday ridership increased by approximately 6K boardings (or 5 percent increase) in January 2018 compared to January 2017.